Ivy Crowns
by Under A Cloud
Summary: Her bet with her girl mates was simple and innocent enough; get Fuji Syuusuke to attend the Winter Ball with her as her date. Falling in love was never part of the plan – damn it! When will middle school drama ever end? (FujixOC)
1. This Was How It Started

I've recently cleared the sadist of Rikkai Dai, and now I'm writing about the sadist of Seigaku. What's with me and sadists, really? That aside, Romance/Humour are a pair of genres I never dared to venture into at the same time, but well I'll try and see how things go along :)

Summary: Her bet with her girl mates was simple and innocent enough; get Fuji Syuusuke to attend the Winter Ball with her as her date. Falling in love was never part of the plan – damn it! When will middle school drama ever end!? (FujixOC)

Disclaimer: I don't own PoT.

**Ivy Crowns**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: This Was How It Started<strong>

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><p>Actually, Minamoto Tsuki wasn't too sure how she got into her current…<em> predicament<em>.

Recap:

"Tsu-chan! Over here!" Kanzaki Miru waved Tsuki over and complained, "Really, you're so slow!"

"_You_ would be late too if you ended up in the hands of Jigoku-sensei," grumbled Tsuki as she dragged her fatigued body over to where her friends were seated, her knees were shaking like she had scaled Mt. Everest and got thrown into an ice bath right after it – damn it, were those knees still hers? And couldn't Miru be a little more sympathetic towards someone who was most unfortunately allocated to Jigoku-sensei for PE? She was taking PE under Jigoku-sensei, as in_ the_ Jigoku-sensei who was famous for _literally_ living up to his name as one hell of a teacher. _Jikuni wa Jigoku, Jigoku no sensei._ That was Seigaku's Jigoku-sensei in a nutshell. Whoever invented this pun deserved an accolade in Tsuki's book. (The kanji character 国 can be read as either 'goku' or 'kuni'. 'Jigoku' means hell)

"Right, right. Anyway, congrats for surviving your third trip to hell and finding your way back; five more remain till the end of the term!" Miru wrapped her fist in her palm and gestured towards Tsuki, grinning.

"… Should I thank you?" asked Tsuki wryly. She couldn't even muster the strength to roll her eyes. Making her way to the school cafeteria pretty much drained what remnant of energy she had after PE lesson with Jigoku-sensei, not to mention the sprint – like sprint to the end – she embarked on to claim a cubicle before the crowd came in. Getting caught up in the stampede of 116 girls; some of which were star players of the various Seigaku sports teams whose outstanding physiques have invited debate about whether any clear distinctions existed between the male and female species; was _no_ joking affair.

Sweeping her long navy-blue hair which was an utter mess (not that she cared, she had _every _right to disregard her hair after PE lesson with Jigoku-sensei) over one shoulder, Tsuki threw herself onto an empty seat. A pale hand pushed a packet of juice in front of her as she settled herself down.

"Thanks, Baru-chan," Tsuki nodded gratefully to the sapphire-eyed blond girl who smiled sweetly in return, and Tsuki thought to herself for the umpteenth time since she had come to know Suigintou Baruki: looks can be _really_ deceiving.

_Ouch. Ouch._ Tsuki bit back a sharp hiss when she accidentally exerted the wrong muscles. Damn it, she didn't even move that much! Those sore muscles were definitely going to hurt like a _bitch_ for the rest of the week. Yet another repeat of the cycle she had been undergoing ever since she came under Jigoku-sensei. Joy, right?

"So, Tsu-chan, Baru-chan and I were talking about something while you were being held back by Jigoku-sensei. Just as you walked over from the changing room, we finalized the plans. You see, we are in our senior year of middle school already, right?" said Miru cheerfully as she dangled her legs back and forth, "We think that it'd be a waste if we just graduate like this. Therefore, Tsu-chan… Baru-chan and I have decided to end middle school with a blast, and graduate without leaving any regret behind."

"… Wait, stop. Don't tell me about it. I want _nothing_ to do with what you have in mind," Tsuki interrupted, her inner danger detector was flickering and wailing like an ambulance siren – it was the call for top security. Intuition told her that it'd be wise to stay out of this.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Tsu-chan! What are you worried about? Even Baru-chan has agreed already!" Miru pouted and admonished Tsuki.

"All the more why I should be worried no? Please, I _implore_ you, just leave me out of this, okay?" Tsuki shook her head, firmly maintaining her stance on this particular issue.

"No, no, no! Not this time, Tsu-chan! You _must_ join us on this endeavour!" Miru wailed and grabbed Tsuki by the arm, causing the latter to wince in pain.

"Tsu-chan!" Baruki gasped softly and anxiously called Tsuki's name.

"Let go, Miru, and we can talk over it," said Tsuki through gritted teeth.

Upon realizing the pain she was causing to her friend, Miru immediately released Tsuki's arm, "Sorry, Tsu-chan! I didn't mean to... but do you mean it when you said we can talk over it?" Light grey orbs stared hopefully into onyx pools.

… Damn. She _knew_ she was going to pay the price for being unable to tame her tongue someday. Albeit reluctant, Tsuki was a girl of her words. She nodded, "shoot, fill me in and we'll see about it."

"Aww come on, it's not that bad! You know about the Winter Ball, right? It's really simple… since none of us has a boyfriend, we have decided that each of us will attend the event with a famous companion! Baru-chan and I even made up a list of the potential candidates and picked out the three most eligible boys. Since Baru-chan and I have already selected who we want to bring to the ball, you're left with the final candidate – not to worry, he's a very fine young lad."

_Fine young lad? _Tsuki almost scoffed and asked Miru "how old are you?" She sounded like an agent at a dating agency; either that or an aspiring matchmaker-in-training.

"And who might that be, if I may ask?" asked Tsuki, onyx-coloured eyes warily regarding her two friends whose brains, she believed, comprised 95% of childish antics, 5% of other little odds and ends.

"Why the tensai of Seigaku boys tennis club, Fuji Syuusuke of course!" Miru announced gleefully, looking proud like she had conquered the Sun.

(The head of North Korea would be _very_ interested in having a tea session with her if she did.)

"… I refuse," said Tsuki flatly.

"What!? Why! We left _the best _to you!" Miru cried out incredulously.

"I don't even know him personally. How am I supposed to ask him out?" Tsuki almost shrugged her shoulders until she felt the tightness in her muscles which ensured that she'd sit up straight in a prim and proper manner. There would be price to pay if she tried to act cool now.

"_Excuses!_ Baru-chan and I aren't acquainted with our targets either!" Miru raised her voice and _shrieked_ at Tsuki, causing the latter's ear to twitch with contempt. Fortunately… The noises in the cafeteria provided cover for Miru's voice. They really weren't discussing very conventional nor honourable things here.

"Well, I said you could fill me in but I didn't agree to jump on the bandwagon. Fuji Syuusuke is free game; go for it if you want to."

"You… you…" Miru was at a loss for words – she was never as witty as Tsuki.

"Tsu-chan, it can't be that you're afraid of losing, can it?" asked Baruki in her soft voice which was almost drowned out by the cacophony around them.

_... Oh no she didn't._

"Am not," Tsuki scowled at Baruki, Minamoto Tsuki was _never_ afraid.

Across Tsuki, Miru's grey eyes were glittering with excitement – of course, how could she forget about Tsuki's weakness when it came to her pride? I spy with my little eye, a vulnerable point in the enemy's defence!

"Really? Well_ I_ believe that you are!" Miru challenged, taking up Baruki's prompt.

"Like I said, am _not_," Tsuki's eyes narrowed.

"Am too."

"Am not."

"Am too."

"Am not."

"Am too."

"Am not."

"Am too."

"For the last time, am not!" Tsuki finally snapped and her brain malfunctioned; her mind fell into a state of perturbation and everything was all over the place, she didn't even register what slipped from her lips next – "Fine! Bring Fuji Syuusuke to the Winter Ball, right? I'll do it!"

"What if you don't manage to ask him out?" Baruki interjected, innocuous blue eyes looking into Tsuki's dark onyx pools.

"I'll voluntarily sign up for Jigoku-sensei's PE class next semester!"_ Yet another line she was going to regret later. _

"Deal," Miru smiled slyly, and at the moment when the deal was sealed, hot blood retreated from Tsuki's brains.

Tsuki blinked, her senses slowly returning to her. She looked over her friends and felt a chill run down her spine. What the _heck _happened that caused Miru and Baruki to smirk in a scarily similar way that was freaking her out?

"Well, Tsu-chan, good luck on your conquest of Fuji Syuusuke, remember, Baru-chan and I are _always_ here to help!" said Miru wistfully – somehow, Tsuki pictured her as a cackling witch instead. You know, like the one from 'Hansel and Gretel'?

… And that was the full recount, or so Tsuki was told, because she doesn't remember _shit _after the childish squabble she had with Miru. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. At times when she gets pushed over the edge, it would seem that her brains would shut down and some sort of primal instinct took over from there. Might she mention that these instincts have landed her in plenty of troubles? It was a pain in the ass, quite literally so. It doesn't help that she possesses absolutely _no_ memory of what happens during those brief moments when she loses it all.

"All you have to remember, Tsu-chan, is that you have to bring Fuji Syuusuke to the Winter Ball," said Miru airily as she cupped her face, "Five months is all you have, Tsu-chan. If you fail, you'll continue to make a weekly trip to hell during the next semester. Do you best if you want to change your fate."

"Miru, are you trying to impersonate those oracles from the movies?" asked Tsuki placidly, "If you are, you're an _awful _actor."

"… No, and if you still have the energy to incite a quarrel with me you should think about how to conquer Fuji Syuusuke," Miru felt the veins on her temples threatening to burst.

"How do I know whether you're lying to me or not?" Tsuki raised a brow sceptically.

"I'm astounded, Tsu-chan, you don't trust us – your best friends!" Miru gasped and made a rueful face.

"… That's because you're not very trustworthy," Tsuki pointed out.

"Actually… I did a voice recording on my phone, would Tsu-chan like to hear it?" Baruki smiled bashfully and held out her phone, finger pointing towards Recording03.

(Afterwards when Tsuki thought about it, what _were _01 and 02?)

"Ingenious, Baru-chan!" Miru gave Baruki a thumb up.

… _I knew it, _Tsuki thought, Baruki had_ always_ been the most fearsome out of the three of them. Tsuki wasn't sure if she really said that – but if Baruki said that she had proof, then it didn't matter what the truth used to be. Baruki would _rewrite_ the truth.

"No, it's fine," Tsuki muttered, resigning to her fate with a tired sigh.

She _still _didn't know how exactly she landed in this situation, but it didn't matter anymore because she was stuck in a quagmire – a quagmire created by Baruki, a quagmire in which she could flail her arms for all the world cared and she would never get out; a quagmire in which she could flaunt her wide array of flamboyant curse words from a myriad of obscure languages and nobody will be impressed; a quagmire in which she could kick her legs and she'd only sink further down like she was trapped in quicksand.

_Joy_, really.

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><p>Any form of support will be appreciated greatly :) I like hearing from my readers so reviews, in particular, are my driving force behind writing. Well I had fun writing this, and I do think it'd be an unexpectedly (wild and) fun story. So hop on the ride if you'd like to see how the story between Tsuki and Fuji will unfold xD<p> 


	2. He's The Other Target!

Hugs to **YunaBrown** for reviewing the first chapter! :D Thanks to everyone else who followed/ favourite'd too :)

**Confirmed side pairing in this story: TezukaxOC**

**Ivy Crowns**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: He's The Other Target!<strong>

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><p>How To Secure Your Winter Date V2<p>

_(P.S. Now includes customized advice on how to deal with various types of targets!)_

Written by Suigintou Baruki, co-authored by Kanzaki Miru

Cover page design © Kanzaki Miru 20xx

All Rights Reserved

_Dedicated to our one and only Tsu-chan, keep going strong!_

**STEP 1:** Encounter the target. Everything must have a beginning to the end, and an end to the beginning. The first step to securing your winter date is – of course – to encounter your target if you haven't already done so.

_Advice: Experimental evidence points towards the fact that the clichéd fall-into-your-arms method does work, provided that the target is a common man. For specific genres of targets, please refer to the list below as a mean of guidance. _

**Cold, stoic type: **To encounter a target in the 'cold and stoic' category, our suggestion is to tackle him through his interests (should he have any), his occupation, family and friends etc. A head-on confrontation is not likely to do you any good because he is inclined to overlook you due to his (natural or deliberate) obliviousness to his surroundings.

**Warm, gentle type: **Arguably, they are some of the easiest targets to get acquainted with, simply because they won't refuse your advances (?). Be it due to chivalry or kindness, the warm and gentle targets can usually be befriended using any method. For best effect, though, we recommend trying the same method as suggested above for the 'cold and stoic' targets.

**Flirty, bad boy type: **From our observation, most attempts to obtain the attention of the flirty bad boys involve either bidding defiance to them or challenging them to bets. This is understandable, as things are often done this way in chick flick movies. In our humble opinion, however, none of those will _ever_ work out in real life. Therefore our advice would be to blend in with his clique and break down his walls from the interior. As to how you can do that, might we suggest tapping on your human relations – or, if you happen to know of his clique's common hangouts, do try your luck there. As a side note, please remember to go to shady areas in groups.

**Narcissistic, childish type: **The narcissistic and childish type had always been some of the most highly sought-after targets in our records. We speculate that girls' innate motherly instinct is likely to account for the narcissistic, childish type's popularity. To chance an encounter with a 'narcissistic and childish' target, our suggestion is to go by the traditional way: conquer him by the stomach. Offer your Home Economics production to the 'narcissistic and childish' target if you're confident; if you're not, please do your own research about his favourite food and seek out the best you could possibly afford. Food is a good bridge to form a good first impression. Please take note that you may have to bear with your target's incessant whining and mindless rambles before you officially get accepted within his realms.

**STEP 2:** Get to know the target. Of course – now that you've already encountered your target, you must further your relationship with him and to do so, understanding each other is a must~! (Insert heart shape here and a caricature of the co-author obviously done by the art-inept Miru herself)

_Advice: Now that your target is aware of your existence, you two have had a meeting point, right? Well this meeting point will be crucial to your fu – _

_Pak!_ With a harsh flick of her wrist, Tsuki flipped to the end of the compilation, where yet another ludicrous caricature of Miru's face was scrawled across the page. She looked up at her friends, pale face expressionless.

"What_ is_ this?" asked Tsuki, one hand tightly clutching the stack of paper which Miru, who had a positively _psychotic_ excited glint in her light grey eyes, forcefully shoved to the blue-haired girl during their common break time. Tsuki's deep onyx eyes were flickering between black and grey, like the customary faulty emergency sign you'd see outside the laboratory responsible for the outbreak of zombie apocalypse.

Menacing was understating her frigid stare, she took lessons from the best.

"It's your strategy guide to conquering Fuji Syuusuke of course!" Miru replied cheerily, looking extremely pleased with herself. With her watery doe-like eyes and a silly grin on her cherry-pink lips, she looked almost like a puppy wagging its tail and awaiting its owner's compliments.

Tsuki resisted the urge to ruffle Miru's head like she would her aunt's cat's fur. Looking cute was so _not_ going to get her anywhere.

"Doesn't Tsu-chan like it?" Baruki asked, looking a little forlorn, and her voice descended to a tottering pitch, "We wrote it especially for you…" Bright cerulean blue eyes on palm-sized face dimmed as disappointment swelled up in them, and sparse liquid seeped out from the edges of the sparkling clear pools. Despite being aware that she was being guilt tripped, Tsuki still consciously walked right into the trap.

… Why did she have to be weak to cute things? Defeated, Tsugi pressed her palm against her forehead. This was why she was constantly under the mercy of Suigintou Baruki, and at times even Kanzaki Miru.

With a hushed gruff, Tsuki muttered, "I got it. Thank… you." Never had she found an acrimonious taste like the words 'thank you' on her tongue at the moment.

Miru erupted in a triumphant grin, clearly over the moon that her best friend appreciated their hard work. Baruki showed an elusive smile, probably delight towards having coerced Tsuki into stomaching their antics again.

On the surface, the seemingly compelling Minamoto Tsuki was the head of the group, but behind closed doors and within its interior, the navy blue-haired girl's position was really akin to a_ slave_; the lowest of the caste system – _or_, to put it in a euphemistic and eloquent manner, she was a figurehead.

But… to look at it positively, having a position within the caste system was better than being an outcaste, right?

**~x~**

"Thank you for your hard work today," said Tsuki to the two rows of students seated on either side of her, "this meeting is now adjourned."

The members of the prestigious Seigaku student council exchanged good byes before they stood up and filtered through the door. While Tsuki was packing up, she was approached by a green-eyed golden-haired second year.

"Ano… Minamoto-fukukaichou, could you please help me to bring the budget plan for the term over to Tezuka-kaichou? It's rather urgent since the school's board of directors is pressing for it," Manabe, the treasurer scratched his head sheepishly, "I'd bring it over but my girlfriend is waiting for me."

Inwardly, Tsuki flinched upon the mention of Seigaku's 'King'.

Actually… she didn't used to be like that. In fact, Tsuki's relative immunity to Tezuka Kunimitsu's absolute zero zone (a term coined by his council mates and customized for Tezuka) was what landed her her position in Seigaku student council.

Recap, student council vice-president by-election a year ago:

_Seated along the length of a long table was a row of jittery boys and girls; some were first years, some were second years. Each of them was regarding the people seated on either side of them warily, some clasped their clammy hands together in an apprehensive stance. _

_One navy blue-haired girl sat right at one edge of the table; her expression not less grave than those seated on one side of her. With each 'tick' produced by the movement of the analogue clock's second hand, they were getting more edgy. _

_When the clock struck 3, a man arrived on the dot. In powerful strides, he cruised through the door and headed straight for his throne._

_He was a handsome man with a tall, lean build. Dark yellow hair bordering on faded auburn was styled neatly with a left parting, revealing dark eyes resembling dusk. _

_Everyone stood up and greeted the new arrival in unison, "Good morning, Tezuka-kaichou!"_

_It was literally a morning scene out of military camp. _

"_Good morning, please take a seat," Tezuka nodded and stated monotonously. Only after Tezuka seated himself did the rest resume sitting. Clearing his throat and looking straight ahead, Tezuka said, "By now, you must be aware that due to unforeseen circumstances, Miyabe-fukukaichou had regrettably resigned from her post. The school does not wish to disrupt the seniors who are preparing for their graduation exams, hence it has been decided that this by-election will be fully overseen and conducted by… me." Tezuka pushed his glasses up, "From this moment forth, the selection will commence. Should you not wish to partake in this by-election, please, feel free to make your way to the door."_

Gulp._ Several people swallowed in their throat. Of course they knew about it. Everybody here was contesting for the coveted position of vice-president of the student council now that it was open. They had been mentally prepared to work alongside Tezuka Kunimitsu for extended hours – but _holy_ freaking _everlasting_ perpetual _shit_, this was too much for the heart to take! Tezuka walking through the door was like a panther stalking towards its prey; him sitting across them was a jaguar about to pounce; and when he spoke – it was a toned down version of the lion roar. If his presence was any stronger than that, they'd probably suffer an instant death due to heart failure. _

_Within three minutes of Tezuka's entrance, three people stood up and excused themselves from the room. Eight candidates were left standing – or rather, sitting._

"_We will begin with the interview section now. Hiyuzaki Kaito, for what reason do you think you deserve to be the vice-president of Seigaku student council?" Tezuka inquired, stoic gaze fixated on the boy seated on the end of the table nearest to the door._

"_I… I…" The first year stammered, failing to articulate a coherent sentence._

"_Hn?" Tezuka emitted a low, indecipherable monosyllable. _

"_I'm very sorry!" Hiyuzaki stood up abruptly and hastily bowed, after which he made a mad dash for the door. The remaining candidates were left in a perturbing daze. _

_...Was their sight failing them or did Hiyuzaki's face really turn green? He looked like there was a horde of Bengal tigers on the chase – come to think about it, that was a fraction of the truth. Hording up in Seigaku was truly a waste of his talent. With that level of speed, he could easily secure a gold medal at the next Olympic meet. _

_Two other female candidates' faces turned pale after Hiyuzaki's impromptu escape. Enough said; they too got out of the room. _

_As of now, five people remained. _

_The next candidate Tezuka was set to question was a petite second year who looked like she was about to faint from nervousness. _

– _The ending to that story was… she really did. As soon as Tezuka uttered the first syllable of his sentence, the second year's eyelids fell down and she lost consciousness. But what really freaked the remaining candidates out was the follow-up to the _perhaps_ not quite unexpected event. Tezuka, with a majestic flick of his wrist, sent for the school medical staffs who were apparently on standby in the room next door. Armed with a stretcher and with help from the two young apprentices, the girl was removed from her seat and carried to the school clinic. _

_Indubitably… there'd be a rare influx of patients at the usually desolate medical room today._

_Tezuka's eyes flitted over the remaining four, frigid gaze holding everyone in place._

"_Subaru Misa, what do you think you can offer for the school?"_

_The second year who was named seemed comparatively calmer than the rest of her peers. Her expression was confident, her posture was straight. When she began speaking, though, her teeth started chattering and her voice quivered so much that it was hard to not notice that she _might _be a step away from being frozen by Tezuka's absolute zero zone. _

"_I-I-I, a-am s-s-s-killed i-i-n…" she paused to take a deep breath in hope of steadying the wild rhythm of her heartbeats, unfortunately, the courage she plucked up dissolved when her eyes accidentally met with Tezuka's. _

_(After the student council vice-president by-election, there was a strange rumour lurking about that Tezuka was a distant relative of a mystical Greek monster – the gorgon known as Medusa.)_

_One more was eliminated. Three remained. Pinching his forehead, Tezuka was unspeaking. _

_Finally, it came down to a battle of their endurance. This wasn't the student council meeting room anymore, it was a battlefield. The three remaining candidates exchanged cautious glances, each quietly assessing the others' stats. _

Who_, would be the one to survive to the end? _

_Beads of cold sweat trickled down the side of their heads. _

_Tsuki was shuffling uncomfortably in her seat. Endure, endure, endure, you've already come this far, just endure, endure, endure. While she repeated the same word in her mind over and over again, the other female candidate finally gave up and bowed customarily to Tezuka before exiting through the door. The candidate aside from Tsuki seemed bewildered by Tsuki's endless endurance. With his pride on the line, the boy gritted his teeth and straightened his back – _

_Wrong choice, for he looked Tezuka Kunimitsu in the eyes and suffered the same fate as the third last person who was eliminated. With her only competitor knocked out cold, Tsuki was the last man standing. _

_The final victor had emerged! _

"_Can you still speak?" Tezuka asked the only remaining candidate in the room, broad hands massaging his temples._

"_Uh?" Tsuki subconsciously uttered a response, "I guess so?"_

_Tezuka nodded, "From now on, I will be counting on you."_

Memory aside, the reason behind her jumpiness was rather nerve-wrecking. Tsuki applauded Baruki's bravery – but bringing Tezu-_freaking_-ka to the Winter Ball? It'd be a spectacular feat should she really achieve it. Because of their shady bet, Tsuki had been squirming before Tezuka for the past few days.

But she couldn't avoid him forever. He was the president, she was his vice. People would start talking if she continued acting strange.

Her cool facade unfaltering, Tsuki nodded her head, "I'll take it to him. Would you happen to know his location at the moment?"

"Ah… I think he's out at the courts now," Manabe rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Thank you so much, Minamoto-fukukaichou!"

"… Did you just say… the courts?" Tsuki tentatively repeated the words, "_which_ courts are you referring to?" She demanded urgently. Please, please don't let it be –

"The tennis courts of course! Why would the captain of Seigaku boys tennis team be anywhere else?"

_Bang!_ Manabe landed a shot from point-blank range.

Oh God.

Oh God.

She was screwed, so screwed, facing Tezuka was fine, going to the tennis courts was fine too; she had no problem with Tezuka and the tennis courts.

No problem if she didn't agree to some childish bet a few days ago, a childish bet which involves her bringing Seigaku's resident tensai to the Winter Ball.

Tennis courts meant that the tennis regulars will be there.

Fuji Syuusuke was a tennis prodigy, and a regular on Seigaku boys tennis team.

Tennis regulars out on the courts meant that Fuji Syuusuke was out on the courts too.

She didn't want to see Fuji Syuusuke.

… Fruity salads with holy danish dressing, she was _screwed_.

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><p>Remember to drop me a review! Hehe.<p> 


	3. Fuji Syuusuke

Thank you to **YunaBrown**, **Dragonseatingme**, **Puppylove7** and** XxBloodandButterfliesxX** for reviewing :) Thanks to those who followed and favourite'd too.

My fountain is dry, dry, dry…

**Ivy Crowns**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Fuji Syuusuke<strong>

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><p>Normally, Tezuka Kunimitsu wasn't one to be flustered by anything at all. However, there are always exceptions to everything and for Tezuka, the sight of Inui approaching with a conical flask – likely a theft property of the school Chemistry lab – containing a suspicious bubbling transparent liquid which<em> strange enough,<em> resembled concentrated hydrogen peroxide, was one of those exceptions which could break his stoic composure.

"… Inui," Tezuka pushed his glasses up, "I thought we were friends."

Friends shouldn't be attempting to poison each other with deceitfully innocent-looking drinks which weren't _that _deceitful at all.

"Which is why, Tezuka… I saved the best for you," Inui smiled unabashedly – though, his smile was really looking more like a smirk, "Tezuka, this was what you agreed to before we played shogi." Inui gently held his captain's words hostage against him.

Tezuka frowned, he had suspicion regarding the outcome of the match – prior to an unnamed phone call which he left to pick up, Inui was two steps away from being annihilated. After the phone call, though… the whole table was turned on him and for the first time since they played against each other, Inui won against Tezuka in a shogi match.

Even so, Tezuka wasn't going to say anything unless he had concrete evidence – something which he lacked at the moment. Besides, it could be because Inui had more time to study the layout of the match and figured out a counterattack. Considering Inui's skills with data, the latter wasn't an unlikely scenario. After adjusting his glasses again, Tezuka reached out a hand and took the conical flask by the neck, "I understand." Tezuka murmured, and in large gulps he finished the whole flask of unknown concoction like a man downing shots at the pub.

Inui watched him in anticipation.

The first thought when Tezuka felt the stinging taste on the tongue was it tasted somewhat like sprite – a drink he wasn't too fond of.

The next thought formed in Tezuka's mind when the burning sensation erupted in his stomach was that Inui's recipe had much room for improvement.

And the final thought – before he completely passed out, was that he really, _really_ needed to stop falling into Inui's traps.

"Ah?" Inui scrutinized the hero who fell and took out his tattered notebook, scribbling as he muttered, "I guess that was an overdose…"

"Inui, what are you doing with Tezuka?" a smooth velvety voice inquired from the back.

"Oh, you're here already, Fuji," Inui looked up and nodded to Fuji who had just arrived, "can you help to bring Tezuka to the infirmary? I need to talk to Oishi for a while."

"Saa… you didn't try your new drink out on Tezuka again, did you?" Fuji smiled knowingly, "I understand, I'll bring him over. Tell Oishi that I'll be late."

"Thank you, Fuji."

Dumping his duffel bag at one corner of the nearest court, Fuji slipped Tezuka's arm over his own shoulders and 'walked' the unconscious Tezuka to the infirmary. Despite his skinny figure, Fuji was pretty strong. After signing Tezuka in (and dealing with the school doctor's inquiry about why _Tezuka _of all people fainted which, if Fuji might mention rather amused him), Fuji was about to leave when he heard Tezuka's phone buzzing from his pocket. He almost dismissed the phone call, but the incessant buzzing stopped him in his steps.

There seemed to be an urgent matter for Tezuka.

Hesitantly, Fuji reached for Tezuka's mobile phone and drew it from his pocket. He flipped the phone open and pressed 'receive', and he said, "Hello, this is Fuji Syuusuke."

**~x~**

Tsuki had been trying to call Tezuka for a while now. Still endlessly pressing redial, the dark-eyed girl emitted a frustrated sigh of exasperation. She'd have personally went into the courts to search for him, unfortunately, she had been a step too late and a crowd of avid fans had already claimed the surroundings of the courts.

(That being said, it was to Tezuka's luck that he was escorted out of the courts without being seen. An unconscious Seigaku's 'King' would be a sight to behold. Cue frantic fan girl screams.)

_One last time_, Tsuki told herself, she'd call Tezuka one last time and if he doesn't pick up – well, she'd call Oishi instead. By hook or by crook, this budget plan must reach Tezuka's hands by today. If even the lackadaisical Manabe said that this was urgent, she should probably add a 'past deadline' in front of the word 'urgent'. Tezuka would appreciate her transferring this to him immediately upon receiving it.

She pressed redial and waited for the 'beep' which signified the end of the call; she honestly wasn't expecting Tezuka to pick up after so long. To her astonishment, her final attempt at reaching him got through.

Half-expecting Tezuka to blast out at her in his ice-cold voice for hogging his phone line, she was pleasantly surprised by a gentle voice carefully saying, "Hello."

Not just that, the very soothing and silky voice continued and introduced himself, "This is Fuji Syuusuke."

This voice… wasn't Tezuka. Tezuka couldn't sound so dreamy, beautiful and – _halt._ Tsuki's heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second. Did he just say 'Fuji Syuusuke'?

Rummaging through her memory of the past moment, Tsuki confirmed that the person speaking to her _did_ introduce himself as Fuji Syuusuke.

Fuji. Syuusuke. Utterly bewildered and spellbound – as in, under a massive dizzy spell, Tsuki nearly flung her phone out of her hands.

Did she by some slip of miracle punch in the wrong number when keying in Tezuka's contact (_but that was impossible_, when Tsuki thought through it again after calming her nerves, she had contacted Tezuka via this number more than a couple of times), or did Tezuka's number somehow redirect her to Fuji Syuusuke?

_Kami_, this joke was _too much_.

**~x~**

When Fuji failed to obtain a reply from whoever was on the other end of the line after waiting for over a minute, he patiently tried again, "This is Tezuka Kunimitsu's phone. Due to some circumstances… he won't be able to reply to you at the moment. If you have anything you'd like to tell him, I can relay the message on your behalf. Or, if it's too personal, you can call him again later." He offered kindly.

"Ah, uh…"

A young_ female_ voice? Fuji glanced at Tezuka through closed eyes, he wasn't aware that there existed a girl who'd know Tezuka's number. Fuji briefly ran through his knowledge of Tezuka and he was certain that his friend-cum-captain didn't have any female relatives their age.

So, this girl… who was she to their captain?

Missing the sound of the girl swallowing in her throat, Fuji only heard her introducing herself, "I'm Minamoto Tsuki, can you tell Tezuka to pick up the student council's budget plan from me later before 6pm? I'll be in the second music room till then."

So she was his student council mate. Glancing at Tezuka again, Fuji said, "That wouldn't be possible, Tezuka is currently in the infirmary. Is it urgent?"

"Sort of," Tsuki replied weakly on the other end of the line.

After thinking for a moment, Fuji smiled and said, "I understand. Could you tell me your location at the moment? I'll go over to retrieve the material from you."

**~x~**

_Tezuka Kunimitsu landed himself in the infirmary._ Before Tsuki recovered from the shock at the knowledge, Fuji frayed with her nerves again by saying, "I'll go over to retrieve the material from you."

"T-that'd be too much of a trouble, it's fine, really," Tsuki stammered over her words, it was the first time she felt so awkward speaking to someone over the phone.

Why did Fuji Syuusuke have to possess the kind of voice she liked the most – and on top of that, be the subject of her silly bet!?

"But you said that it was urgent, didn't you? Don't worry about troubling me, Tezuka is my friend too," Fuji chuckled, "Saa… can you tell me your location now, Minamoto-chan?"

Tsuki inhaled sharply, _calm down, calm down,_ she told herself, Fuji Syuusuke was just a boy.

_A boy with an extremely alluring voice which she was utterly helpless against. _

"Outside of the tennis courts," said Tsuki, suddenly finding the file in her hand extremely hot.

"I'll be there in a moment, can you meet me at the storeroom behind the courts?" Fuji checked the time on the clock in the infirmary, "I think it's rather crowded at the courts at the moment."

Friday afternoons were the most crowded since most clubs didn't have activities on Fridays, which meant that majority of the school population was free to 'visit' their courts.

"Uh, okay, I'll meet you there. Bye," Tsuki finished off lamely.

Fuji chuckled again, finding her awkwardness rather interesting, "Saa… I'll see you later, Minamoto-chan. Good bye."

**~x~**

Maybe she should run away before it was too late. Nervously pacing to and fro between the storeroom and the main walkway, there were several moments when Tsuki nearly slipped away. For the love of God, why did she agree to meet with Fuji Syuusuke? If words of their rendezvous leaked out, she'd probably be chased down to the ends of the world by Fuji's fan girls. _But_ if she stood him up now (which would be inevitable since she won't be able to contact him), she'd probably be ripped to shreds by his carnivorous fans.

Between being hunted to the ends of the world and being dismembered, only a fool would choose the latter.

"Sorry for being late, I was held up by the crowd for a moment," the same dreamy voice which Tsuki heard over the phone suddenly rang from behind her. She turned around, and the sight of Fuji Syuusuke entered her vision.

Despite having worked closely with Tezuka, Tsuki wasn't acquainted with his team except for Oishi who was her classmate, so this meeting was the first time she was seeing Fuji Syuusuke so close up. He could probably be summed up in one word – ethereal.

As for Fuji, he vaguely remembered Tsuki for her frequent appearances on the podium during assembly. "Minamoto-chan?" he asked lightly.

"Y-yes, Fuji-san, this is the budget plan," flustered, Tsuki almost shoved the file into Fuji's hands, "please do get it to Tezuka. If there's nothing else I – um, will be taking my leave. Good bye."

Tsuki fled from the scene.

A brow raised in confusion, Fuji stared at the retreating figure of the thin navy-haired girl.

Did he unwittingly reveal his dark side to her? Because she looked like her life was on the line. Shrugging his shoulders, Fuji turned around and made his way back to the courts.

_Ah, well._ He had delayed practice for long enough, it was time to return to the courts.

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><p>Fuji, Fuji, Fuji… hurhur, it's just like him to scare Tsuki out of her wits even before they were properly acquainted. Please remember to review! :D<p> 


	4. Conflicts, conflicts, conflicts

Thanks to **Dragonseatingme**, **YunaBrown**, **Puppylove7 and cleareyes25** for reviewing :) Umm, yes, I'm still alive if anyone's wondering… The problem with this story is that the plot isn't fixed yet so every time I climb out of a hole I'd fall into a mud pit right after it.

To Guest: Here it is :) hope you enjoy it.

**I thought over it, and the last side pairing in this story is confirmed: EijixOC **

**Ivy Crowns**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Conflicts, conflicts, conflicts<strong>

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><p>"So to sum it all up, your phone call was picked up by Fuji Syuusuke and you are abso-<em>freaking<em>-lutely smitten with his voice; then when you met up with him, you hurled a file at him, after which you fled from the scene in fear that his fan girls would find out that you came into close contact with their prince and slaughter you?" Miru summarized Tsuki's whole recount in one single run-on sentence which she would have been marked down for if she was taking her language papers.

"Miru, your exceptional ability to twist my words to fit your imagination astounds me – as does it ever," Tsuki rubbed her forehead and corrected her, "for one, I'm _not _smitten with his voice."

"You did say that you found his voice attractive, Tsu-chan," Baruki reminded gently.

"Acknowledging that Fuji Syuusuke has an attractive voice is completely different from being smitten with him," Tsuki would have snorted – if she wasn't responding to Baruki.

"Did you enjoy hearing his voice, then?" Baruki displayed a sphinx-like smile – Tsuki found that an _extremely_ incongruous facial expression on her doll-like face.

"I did, but that doesn't mean that I'm smitten with him." Tsuki took care not to fall into any traps, but… in doing that she failed to realize that the conversation had already strayed way off.

"Do you dislike him?"

"No, but I don't like him either."

"You don't dislike him, you don't like him. Tsu-chan, you must decide for yourself. Do you like or dislike him?" said Baruki airily, "no matter what your decision is, Miru and I will support you through."

… _That sounded weird. _But nothing was out of place? Carefully, Tsuki went through the contents of their conversation in her mind, and she gawked at Baruki when it clicked to her.

Why did the conversation veer from a discussion of Fuji Syuusuke's voice into the compulsory girl mates love consultation session you'd see in chick flick movies!?

"… Can I say that I have no feelings whatsoever? No positive or negative feeling?" Tsuki deadpanned.

"We are thinking, feeling creatures, Tsu-chan. I think by now, you'd have formed an impression strong enough to upset your balance," after adjusting her sitting position, Baruki looked up and smiled, asking again, "so Tsu-chan… do you like or dislike him? It's a simple multiple choice question between A and B."

… _Baruki_, Tsuki would say if she had balls (she doesn't, so 'nuff said), _that is by no mean simple_.

**~x~**

By the 15th time the despicable furry little neon green sphere of abomination hit her in the face because she just_ can't_ do a backhand to save her ass, Tsuki decided that she had had enough.

_To hell with tennis and Fuji Syuusuke._ She was through and done with trying to pick up tennis because her target's life apparently_ revolved_ around said sport (as the way it seemed for the rest of his team too, honestly, just what was it about tennis that groomed all these fanatics?).

Besides, why did she even agree to do this in the first place? She had no intention of fulfilling some pesky bet which, mind you, she had _no_ recollection of making!

"Miru, I _can't _do this," said Tsuki, sounding somewhat bitter; she was usually someone who picked up things fast – failing for the 15th time in a row hurt her pride.

"Oh come on, Tsu-chan! You can do it!" Miru stood akimbo in front of Tsuki and nudged her chin in direction of the blond who stood not too far from them. "Just look at Baru-chan! She's doing so well! I'm sure you'd be able to grasp it this time!" Miru gushed over Baruki who was effortlessly performing a drop shot already and the girl just began tennis that day.

"Ah… I still need lots of practice," Baruki turned around, sweat glistening off her skin as she smiled ethereally.

"… Miru, you do realize that you're talking about _the_ Suigintou Baruki," Tsuki twitched. Baruki wasn't just blessed with doll-like looks; she was a_ freakishly_ talented all-rounder too – well, aside from math, that's it.

… Just like a certain someone she knew. God was truly unfair sometimes, wasn't he?

"Huh? I don't get you," Miru tilted her head, confused, "but anyway, master your backhand today would'ya?"

"I don't even know why I'm doing this… besides, waking up to someone pebbling my window panes and screaming '_AHHHHHHHH ZABENYAAAAAAAA_!' while making strange monkey faces through the misty glass and rousing my parents from their sleep _and_ having them along with my little sister mistake that I was rendezvousing with Romeo was hardly my plan to wake up on a Sunday morning – at 5.45am, no less," Tsuki recalled her wakeup call that morning with a grim expression; Naru looked positively disappointed when she burst through the door and saw Miru standing outside of her window.

Seriously, her little sister was watching _way _too much Korean dramas for her own good.

"Ah… I was watching 'Lion King' yesterday night, you see," Miru scratched her head sheepishly while Tsuki rolled her eyes. So if she watched 'King Kong', she'd imitate Fay Wray's scream?

… On a side note, Tsuki was somewhat relieved that Miru had been watching 'Lion King' now.

"But the Street Tennis Mixed Doubles Competition is coming up soon!" Miru cried out and whipped out a poster from nowhere, "look! It's a great chance for you and Baru-chan to get acquainted with Tezuka-kun and Fuji-kun!"

Tezuka-_kun_? Tsuki almost tripped over her own shoelaces. _Never_ had she ever thought that she'd live to see the day someone uses the suffix 'kun' with Tezuka's name. Tsuki harrumphed and eyed Miru with a bewildered look, "are you… expecting us to pair up with them in the competition?"

"Of course!" Miru nodded her head heavily.

Tsuki choked on air. Baruki glided towards Tsuki and pat her back – but Tsuki didn't feel assured at all. She knew by now that Baruki was just about as mad as Miru who was madder than the Mad Hatter.

"You're insane," Tsuki finally concluded after steadying her breath, if she had any doubt prior to this, she was dead certain of it now. "What makes you think they'd choose us over the girls regulars?" Tsuki always knew of her own physical limitations, and Baruki might be a genius but let's be realistic, they were far from being on par with the Seigaku girls regulars!

"Why not? If you prove yourself to be a more suitable partner for them than the Seigaku girls regulars, why wouldn't they partner up with you instead?" Miru looked genuinely bemused.

Tsuki resisted the urge to fan the (imaginary) steam rising from the top of head. Miru was totally missing the crux of the issue here.

To begin with, she and Fuji, Baruki and Tezuka; were _strangers_. Not even acquaintances. Imagine a stranger walking up to you and saying "hey whaddya' think we partner up for the upcoming mixed doubles competition yo?"

(Okay, she was probably exaggerating a little but she's trying to bring across the ridiculousness of this issue.)

What would a normal person do? Gawk at the person like he was an escapee from the local mental asylum, and kindly dial his 'home' to inform them that they were missing him? Or perhaps roll your eyes and walk off, being accustomed to weirdos around you already?

(No, no, she wasn't trying to insinuate anything. Hand across chest, Tsuki swears.)

"Doubles aren't just about skills," Baruki intervened and preached airily, "it's about teamwork."

"I'd think that the boys regulars and girls regulars have spent much more time together and nurtured a stronger bond between them than us," Tsuki deadpanned.

"Team dynamics, Tsu-chan. Playing a lot together doesn't equate to good team dynamics," Baruki's eyes twinkled.

_Right_. Now she sees where they are heading to.

"You _can't_ be serious."

Racquet tucked beneath her arm, Tsuki stared at Baruki.

"Oh, but I am, Tsu-chan," Baruki turned around and lightly giggled in a – to Tsuki, that's it – harrowing fashion.

_Kami-sama_, Tsuki furiously massaged her head and dug up _inexistent_ dandruff from her scalp, _you truly, truly in all honestly despise me, don't you?_

**~x~**

What happened in the end was Tsuki ended up approaching Oishi for help with her dismal backhand. Ironically, it was after Miru gave up on her that Tsuki's will to excel blazed; she refused to believe that there was something she couldn't master if she put her heart into it.

When asked, Oishi – though he was in doubt because he knew that Tsuki was never particularly keen about sports – agreed readily. The two arranged to meet after school on Thursday, but while changing in the locker room that day, Oishi suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! This is bad…" Oishi's brows were severely wrinkled.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Oishi?" Fuji, who was the only other person in the locker room at the moment, turned around and asked with a concerned expression.

"I agreed to help Minamoto-san with tennis this coming Thursday, but I forgot that I have to babysit my little sister," replied Oishi, lips set in a frown, "I'll have to arrange another day with her. But she's been busy with her student council affairs recently, I'm not sure when would she be free again." Oishi thought aloud.

Minamoto? Student council? A sphinx-like smile surfaced on Fuji's face. Could it be the same Minamoto Tsuki he saw last week?

"I could substitute for you if you'd like, Oishi," Fuji offered, "I'm acquainted with Minamoto-chan."

"Eh? Wouldn't that be too troublesome for you, Fuji?" Oishi turned his head, eyes reflecting uncertainty. It was never in his nature to push his responsibilities to somebody else.

"It's fine, besides… I haven't seen her in a while too," said Fuji reassuringly.

"Thank you in advance then, Fuji. I'd let Minamoto-san know about it, or would you like to tell her yourself?" Oishi nodded gratefully.

Fuji's eyes twinkled.

"Don't worry about it, Oishi. I'd let her know about it later."

**~x~**

"Hachoo!" Tsuki suddenly sneezed.

"Tsu-chan? Did you catch a cold?" asked Baruki with a concerned look as she took out a packet of tissue, "here, have this."

"Maybe," Tsuki pinched her nose and accepted Baruki's tissue. Strange, was someone cursing her?

(Oh, but Tsuki… what's coming your way is way worse than that.)

**~x~**

Contrary to popular belief, Tsuki wasn't huge on swear words. Since her appointment as vice-president of the student council, in fact, Minamoto Tsuki had never been seen cursing (in public).

Exceptions like Kinoyuchi Yuzuki, were well, _exceptions_. The president of the dance club slash Seigaku's 'Queen' was one of the privileged few who never once failed to incur vulgarities from Tsuki. But recently, Tsuki took an oath to rescind Yuzuki's privilege, and the navy blue-haired girl was trying – and failing but she was still trying and it's not working well but well she's _trying _– to faithfully abide by her pledge to herself.

"What's with the meagre fund allocated to my club? This isn't even enough for a seasonal change of clothes! What do you think my dancers are, Minamoto? _Beggars_?" demanded the tall, gaunt purple-haired girl, whose pretty face was ruined by the flaring nostrils and the bitchy vibes she was giving off. Tsuki folded her arms and calmly appraised Yuzuki; idly wondering how did the girl's pointlessly outstanding hairstyle manage to get past the discipline master – until she recalled that_ right_, Yuzuki's uncle was part of the board of directors.

School was a mini-society, so unsurprisingly they weren't invulnerable to corruption.

The temptation to grab Yuzuki by one of her many carefully styled elaborate braids was strong. However, Tsuki resisted it. A hearing with the vice-principal for assaulting a fellow student would be her last concern considering the session with Tezuka which would follow.

For someone of her position, there were serious consequences for failing to lead by example. Her execution would be personally overseen and conducted by the King himself.

_Still_, Tsuki's dark eyes stared into Yuzuki's cold browns, she wasn't going to just let herself be walked all over by some childish little brat who needed to cure her Princess Syndrome and perhaps broaden her vision a little so that her mental age could match up to her height and biological age. How could anyone be so _shameless_ as to demand for more club fund when the total spending of the dance club for the past two years amounted to almost the same sum as the student council? The dance club wasn't even the one planning the school events; it was the student council!

"What's with that defiant look in your eyes, Minamoto? You have the audacity to glare at _me_!? Do you wish to be removed from your post?" Yuzuki's bronze-coloured eyes narrowed threateningly, "you should know that with one word from my uncle, you'd immediately be replaced – my family owns this school."

Tsuki sighed inwardly, and _you'd think_, that rich spoilt brats only existed in teenage drama series. Well, a round of applause – they have a live example at Seigaku!

"Unless the shares your uncle owns exceed 50%, I think it's too early for you to be saying that, Kinoyuchi."

Yuzuki's bronze-coloured eyes flashed red with annoyance, and Tsuki waited for the princess to explode – ever since she was elected as the vice-president, Yuzuki had been at loggerheads with her. Why, simply because Yuzuki was one of the many candidates who failed because of Tezuka's commanding presence. Just for laugh (she was by no mean attempting to dishonour Yuzuki, fingers crossed), Yuzuki was one of the three who escaped from the room at the inception of the by-election.

_Hmm_, Tsuki glanced at the girl, just to tease the brat a little…

"Besides, if your uncle wields the power to decide who should be the vice-president of the student council, I wouldn't be the one in office now, true?"

"Wench! Are you looking down on the Kinoyuchi's!?" Yuzuki let out an enraged battle cry which set Tsuki's eyes rolling – of course, the princess got even more furious. Yuzuki, while her body was trembling with rage, pointed a finger at Tsuki and snarled, "Do you dare to face my club in a showdown to decide who should be allocated more fund? Next Monday, 3pm at the school podium!"

… _Wait a moment._ Tsuki blinked, completely befuddled, _what the heck just happened!?_

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><p>I'm almost done laying the base of the story, from next chapter onwards, there'd be more appearances of the canon characters (like ohmigosh finally I know right!) and plot development!<p> 


	5. Thursday With Sadist

You know I love all of you, right? Thanks to** YunaBrown** and **Puppylove7** for reviewing :) and all the others who fav'd or followed.

Before anything else, there's something I want to say. Don't take anything I write about tennis into serious consideration because I've _never_ held a tennis racquet in my entire life. Therefore if Fuji (or anyone else) makes any technical mistakes in this story, it's not his fault; it's mine. …Yeahs, actually that much should be obvious T_T

**Ivy Crowns**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Thursday With Sadist<strong>

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><p>Truthfully, in all honesty, if Tsuki had known that she was going to come face to face with a certain renowned genius of the Seigaku boys tennis club, she'd have signed that life insurance policy she had been postponing for a while now before she came down to the courts.<p>

Right now, all Tsuki wanted was a bullet through her temples for thinking that the caramel-haired boy standing in the courts was Oishi who has finally decided to get a change of hairstyle when she first saw the silhouette from afar. While Tsuki had nothing against Oishi's sense of fashion… she found his hairstyle outstanding in a way quite different from Kinoyuchi Yuzuki's.

And because she had been expecting her dark-haired classmate, Tsuki was rather horrified when the person she had assumed to be Oishi turned around to face her – that, that flawless peach-coloured skin, soft brown hair and a dreamy smile to die for… that wasn't Oishi! That was – _holy molly – _Fuji Syuusuke!

_Clang._ Tsuki stopped dead in her track, pinned to place by an invisible icicle that has materialized out of nowhere. Her mind had already ceased to function, leaving behind only blankness. Really, you could spring a dog in her face now and she wouldn't even be fazed – and Tsuki was known for her distaste of dogs.

"Good afternoon, Minamoto-chan," Fuji greeted her in an exceptionally cheerful tone which summoned her back to reality. Dark obsidian orbs focused on the boy in the court, and Tsuki's brains slowly came to accept the fact that Oishi wasn't anywhere to be seen, while Fuji had magically appeared out of the blue. Was it a coincidence that he was here?

"… Good afternoon, Fuji-san," Tsuki replied mechanically, still having an internal debate whether she should take to her heels and call Oishi to cancel their session today, or pluck up her courage and enter Fuji's domain.

Why is it that she can remained undaunted in Tezuka's absolute zero zone and yet she was so skittish around Fuji? Tezuka was widely acknowledged as Seigaku's most fearsome person and he even came in first in the annual poll, while _Fuji_ was known as one of the friendliest persons in their school!

(Just between us, during the clandestine balloting… Tsuki's vote went to Tezuka too.)

"Something came up for Oishi today, so I'm standing in for him. Saa… I was supposed to inform you but it slipped my mind. I do apologize," Fuji explained with a bright smile.

… That little element of merriment in his voice was something Tsuki wasn't unfamiliar with.

It was the same jingle she heard from Baruki every time the golden-haired beauty was plotting something bizarre. She found his explanation rather… dubious, but surely Fuji didn't have any reason to lie to her? They were barely acquaintances.

So the unsuspecting navy blue-haired girl brushed the thought off and nodded, "I see…"

Fuji's smile became even wider. All of a sudden, Tsuki shivered involuntarily under the scorching midday Sun. _And summer was arriving soon too._

"Wouldn't you come into the court?" asked Fuji, and when he had that dazzling smile on him… Tsuki couldn't say no. It felt like a sin if she did.

"Of course," with an awkward smile, Tsuki closed the gap and stopped just in front of the net which separated them. Intuitively, she held her last line of defence.

"What'd you like to work on, Minamoto-chan?" Fuji inquired; standing close up, his dreamy voice was even more intoxicating – stop, stop, dear brains, for the love of God, please _stop_. Tsuki managed to save her calm demeanour which was at the verge of breaking down.

"Actually," Tsuki looked into Fuji's eyes – or eyelids – and mustered her courage, "I just recalled that I have something on. I apologize for wasting your time, Fuji-san." That was only a partial lie; as the vice-president of the student council, Tsuki never had lack of work. So pesky little irritating guilty conscience, stop nipping at her, okay!?

Fuji didn't reply immediately. Tsuki secretly shifted her weight from one leg to another; she was turning a little nervous before Fuji's unfaltering smile.

_Come to think about it_, even his smile reminded her of Baruki.

"Do you dislike me, Minamoto-chan?" asked Fuji imperviously.

Tsuki definitely did not see that question coming. She spontaneously shook her head and denied almost too quickly, "_no–" _she breathed,_ "_of course not."

"Saa… Are we friends?" He proceeded to ask next.

Being absolutely clueless as to where this conversation was heading to, Tsuki replied on impulse," I… suppose."

Fuji nodded and continued in a mirthful tone, "Let's begin then."

"… Pardon?" She must be hearing things.

"Rest assured that you're in good hands, Minamoto-chan," said Fuji cheerfully, seeming to have mistook the inquisitiveness in Tsuki's tone as doubt regarding his coaching skills, "I heard from Oishi that you'd like to work on your backhand. Is that right?"

"Yes…" Tsuki responded stiffly; her ears had been functioning perfectly well before. Indeed, the renowned tennis prodigy had somehow… led her by the nose? Tsuki shook her head at the inappropriate idiom, there was no way Fuji could be so manipulative!

… _Right?_

(Because of the messy state of her mind, Tsuki failed to catch the amused smile on Fuji's face as he observed, with interest, the not-quite-surreptitious changes in her mood as reflected in the twitching of her eyes.)

When Tsuki looked up, she found herself staring ahead at the boy who had already turned his back on her and was walking to get into position. Slowly, Tsuki was coming to accept the fact that there was no escape from Fuji Syuusuke today.

_Take it positively, Minamoto Tsuki_. She cheered herself on, _you should be in a celebratory mood that the tensai of Seigaku's boys tennis club is mentoring you._ It was like asking for chicken chop at a restaurant and ending up being served premium beef steak. Oh the things that most of the other girls in school would trade to be in her position!

(_That_ came out a lot more sarcastic than she had intended it to.)

"If it's alright with you, could you show me a demonstration of your backhand first?" requested Fuji in a polite tone which caused the level of guilt to surge within her. He was being so nice to her while she was being all paranoid and suspicious about everything… Baruki had truly traumatized her too much.

"Of course. I'll be in your care, Fuji-san," said Tsuki with a bow.

"Please take care of me too," said Fuji in response as he raised his racquet, "Are you ready?"

Tsuki deposited her belongings on the side of the court and drew her racquet from her tennis bag.

"I am," Tsuki nodded, walking to position. She was already prepared to disgrace herself in front of one of the school's best tennis players with her pathetic backhand.

"I'll be serving then. Relax," Fuji smiled encouragingly at her and lightly threw the tennis ball into the air. His racquet accurately met with the neon green sphere, and sent the ball flying across the net at a comfortable pace.

Even though Tsuki haven't had much experience with said sport, she could tell that Fuji was catering to her level and this particular shot was probably one he wouldn't make even when he was just learning tennis. Gripping her racquet tightly, Tsuki bit down on her lower lip and twisted her body. One could hope for a miracle, right? With that thought in mind, she swung her racquet and – like she had expected herself – missed the ball by a long mile.

_As it had been proven once again_, miracles were only for people whom are favoured by the unearthly beings up there.

"… I'm sorry that you had to see that, as you can see… I'm really quite hopeless," said Tsuki as she picked up the ball which rolled back to her feet, she had already become numb to her dismal backhand and barely felt embarrassed about it any more.

"Would you like to try again? I might have your issue figured out," Fuji tilted his head and asked.

_Already?_ Her deep onyx pools expanded for a moment and soon returned to their rightful size. She should have expected it; this was Fuji Syuusuke.

Nodding, she prepared herself to receive Fuji's serve once more. "Please serve, Fuji-san."

He repeated the same motion from before fluidly, and the exact same scenario was repeated. The shot came towards Tsuki, and lightly grazed the side of her racquet.

"Saa… My theory might be correct," Fuji put a finger to his chin and said, "please excuse my rudeness, Minamoto-chan; but do you happen to have a case of lazy eye?"

_How was he able to tell?_ Tsuki blinked and replied honestly, "I do."

"I noticed from the position of your racquet; you seem to miss the ball by about 2-3mm each time. It was a wild guess but I thought that it might be because your vision is slightly impaired on your right eye," Fuji explained, "since this is a natural condition… I suggest you twist your neck a little more to allow the ball to enter the field of vision of both your eyes. However, doing so would strain your neck and might lead you developing a neck condition in the long term; hence it's not very advisable. If it's possible, try to avoid backhand when you're not wearing suitable contact lenses."

"I see…" Hearing what Fuji said cleared up her doubts. She nodded gratefully at the brown-haired boy and said, "Thank you very much, Fuji-san."

"It's nothing," Fuji smiled warmly, "would you like to try it just once? Though I think it'd be better if you don't do it all the time."

"Please let me try it just once," said Tsuki firmly.

Fuji complied and said, "Pass the ball over to me."

At that, Tsuki fell into a dilemma. Should she manually throw the ball to him or risk embarrassing herself in doing a serve? Eventually, the navy-haired girl decided on the latter – because this was a tennis coaching session after all.

She threw the ball in the air and whacked – yes, _whacked_ – it with a powerful swing. Eyes nailed to the path of the despicable sphere, her heart rose to her throat when she saw the ball whirling towards a direction completely different from the designated course – and all of a sudden, Fuji's racquet appeared out of nowhere and lightly tapped the ball. The tiny green sphere of abomination fell limp, and gently landed in his waiting hand.

"You have a clean serve, Minamoto-chan," said Fuji sincerely, and Tsuki felt her cheeks flare up at his kind encouragement. She knew very well herself that her serve had power but lacked precision.

"Thank you," she mumbled, suppressing her own voice.

Fuji served again – and heeding his advice, Tsuki easily received the ball. At last! A smile skidded across Tsuki's lips as she watched the ball fly over the net. She had always found the satisfaction of accomplishing something which you had been working on for so long extremely fulfilling.

"Thank you so much for your help today, Fuji-san," immersed in euphoria, Tsuki bowed to Fuji as she thanked him once again.

Fuji smiled and shook his head. "I'm glad I was of help."

**~x~**

At the end of the session, Fuji bade farewell to Tsuki before they parted way. Pulling out his phone, Fuji dialled Oishi's number. It didn't take long for the warm voice of his vice-captain to replace the monotonous dial tone.

"_Hello, this is Oishi Shuichirou_."

"Oishi, this is Fuji. I've just finished the session with Minamoto-chan," said Fuji as he walked along the road.

"_Oh! Thank you so much. How was the session?_"

"Saa… it went well," Fuji smiled and added, "Minamoto-chan is a very interesting girl."

"_I'm glad to hear that!_" Fuji imagined Oishi rubbing his head as he said that. "_But what do you mean by she's… interesting?_" There was clear hesitation and uncertainty in his vice-captain's tone – and was that subtle worry he heard?

Fuji's smile widened.

"Saa… I wonder."

* * *

><p>All I can say is… Tsuki, please trust your intuition. You weren't wrong… I'm starting to find writing this story easier as I go along. In the past, I used to write one line and stare at the word doc, then close the window, reopen in a few minutes, write another line and the process repeats. Now… I can write a few paragraphs in a go. <em>Don't<em> laugh. It's a huge improvement I swear.


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